PRE-HISTORIC MAN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 783, 5 April 1910, Page 5

PRE-HISTORIC MAN.

MR. WRAGGE'S INVESTIGATIONS,

CURIOUS STONES AND CROSSES,

BONES AND BEOKEU COTFINS. \ ■ (By TcleeTaDtt.-Soedal ComseondeaU Auckland, April 4. Mr. Clement L. Wragge has just.returned from a second exploration expedition to the Bay of Islands , more than ever convinced that he has discovered ovidences of pro-historic man. To an interviewer he said:

"Kegarding tho statement that what I have como across are volcanic bombs, I most emphatically declare that they. are not volcanic bombs at all. They are all big blocks standing out of tho ground at all angles up to ten feet high, and how much more they may be in the ground I cannot say. Of this I am sure,that by excavation doubtless some other very curious find may come to light. Not only do some of the stones stand upright, , but there are others canted over at an angle of about 45 degrees, and others, again, which point nearly horizontal).! from the slope of the hill much resembling huge cannon on a man-o'-war. -V is a most extraordinary place. ■ "Jly assistant and I," proceeded Mr, Wragge, "discovered what appears to b< —I don't say it is— a monumental arch It .would appear to have been the top ol a doorway. Here is my note about-it: ■Apparently an arched stone over doorway; spring of arch about sin. or 6iu. deep, and ]ft.. 3in. thick, apparently acting as keystone, and 6ft. long and about lft. lflin. across.' It is difficult to account tor. it .by natural formation. ; " . ' "On the top of one block is discovered three distinct cups, averaging' apart, and on the side of it another three. These cups are from 2in. to 3in. in diameter, and from jin. to ljin. in depth. They evidently appear to be intended for re. cords to which the word written is applicable. It is difficult to see how such could have been formed by natural agencies. On another stone adjacent is another 2in. to 2Jin. in. diameter, and about Iμ. deep. Six inches from this is a nght-angled cross. The main portion of it is Gin. long, and the arm or cross mark measures 3in. each way, one side of it being somewhat blurred, as though' by disintegration, such as would occur on a tombstone. On , other stoneslf onnd irregular crosses, 6omewhat similar to; those made by Natives when they signed tho Treaty of Waitangi, a copy of which 1 have seen. , . ; ■

"On another stone is a small triangle. The apices •of this, however, are somewhat uneven. It measures 2.7 in. one side and 3in. on the others, with : irregular ridges branching off it in one direction. This is very difficult to account for by natural agencies. On another stone there is a marking resembling the letter H.' "I; must fully admit that • the' rocks originally aro of . platonic igneous or volcanic formation, but notwithstanding this they appear to have been manipulated by. the hand of man. My contention with respect to all these is that they have been caused by. early man, far anterior to the advent of the Maori, and it remains for those who have studied these-mattera moro than I have to prove that I am wrong." "On descending' the slope on which these immense stones are, I entered p spot which I have called' Coffin Gully, for adjacent are tho remains: of . what 'are evidently recent Maori coffins and bones and skulls (these of course- being recent) are to be found under and beside the pillars. In this gully the rocks are buried in a chaotic.mass on every' angle, as though some tremendous upheaval had takonplaco. Out of the gully;-on tho slope, one huge, pillar has been hnrled down, and it lies.nearly horizontal. It is circular in formation, and measures 12ft. 9in. in girth. That part of .-if; sticking out" of tho ground is 9ft. Bin. long and its base is 3ft. llin. in diameter! Beneath this is a' cave, which is filled with bones and broken coffins, evidently used. as a recent Maori burial place.' .■' " , JMr. Wvagge stated that those who , 'had written to the press stating that they had seen the place in question evidently referred to other rockV not in the immediate neighbourhood. •"'; ■:-' ■"• -. ■'. *ii>- * ■ , "This place," : he Jwent: on',7:'!is by nc means in tho open. If is in thick manuka bush. I have called it lemurion, after tw submerged continent Lemnria, which it is supposed existed where the western: portion of the South Pacific Ocean now is. .It is a spot-that certainly should be taken over by tho Government of this country.' •■••■■ ■ . .. •••.... Mi-. Wraggo claims to have made another interesting. discovery oh the coast close to Takon Bay, near Bussell, and some few miles distant from the site of his previous-investigations; Hearing that some curious rock formations wero to be seen at tho place named, he visited it.- • "I found enormous facing the ocean iu the form of gigantic buttresses," he eaid,, "some of them being in single blocks abont 15ft. high, with their bases about 2ft. broad, buried in the earth. The whole looks like a titanic wall of some huge fortress, as if to say to the mighty Pacific, 'So far shalt thou come and no further.' Others closely adjacent take the form of enormous cheeses piled one on top of the other. I did not find anjr markings on them similar to those which I" have described in tho previous find. The whole .region, including.that of the first find, is most weird and romantic, and forms one of the many wonder spots of tho wonderland of New Zealand."

Professor A. P. W. Thomas, when informed of Mr. Wragge's .further ■statement,; said he was reluctant: ■; to express any opinion concerning the discoveries without having personally viewed theni. Ho thought, however, that so far as the descriptions went everything was reconcilable to natural phenomena and 'was not uttribut&blo to man, •